This past weekend was the one-year anniversary of Avengers: Endgame.
We’ve heard from the writers and directors of the highest-grossing movie ever, when not adjusted for inflation, but what about the cast? How have they, especially Robert Downey, Jr. and Chris Evans (who have both bid farewell to the Marvel Cinematic Universe), been doing, post-Endgame? Below, I ranked the careers of the six original Avengers — RDJ (Iron Man), Evans (Captain America), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), and Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) — in the 12 months since Endgame hit theaters. I kept it to the 2012 sextet and not everyone in the MCU because, well, otherwise there would be an obvious winner. It’s Paul Rudd. It’s always Paul Rudd. But as for the non-Paul Rudd superheroes…
6. Jeremy Renner
I mean…
But hey, at least Arctic Dogs, where Renner voices a fox (which is not a dog) named Swifty, had “one of the worst opening weekends” at the box office ever. Congrats?
5. Robert Downey Jr.
There’s good and bad news for RDJ’s post-Endgame career. The bad news: Dolittle was 2020’s “first mega-flop,” with a projected $100 million loss for Universal Pictures on the $175 million-budgeted feature, and it inspired scathing reviews like, “[It’s] one of the worst cinematic fiascos I’ve seen in years” and, “This nothingness doesn’t even have the good grace to be a bad movie. The low-point of every single career involved.” The good news: Dolittle is the year’s third highest-grossing movie. And all it took was a global pandemic! (At least Perry Mason, which Downey, Jr. produced with his wife, looks great.)
4. Mark Ruffalo
Ruffalo was the toughest Avenger to rank, as he’s only had one project since Endgame came out: Dark Waters, Todd Haynes’ warmly-reviewed legal thriller that received light Oscar buzz but failed to pick up any nominations. Ruffalo excels in thrillers, like Zodiac and Shutter Island, but he’s pretty good in most genres, including swoon-worthy romantic comedies (13 Going on 30) and indie-dramas (The Kids Are All Right). I think he’s the best actor of the six, and I’m excited to watch his HBO limited series I Know This Much Is True where he plays identical twin brothers. But if we’re only counting everything that’s come between Endgame and now, it’s tough to elevate Ruffalo over…
3. Chris Hemsworth
Hemsworth might be your favorite Chris, but he’s not the highest Chris on this list. It’s not his fault that Men in Black: International was one of last year’s forgettable movies, but let’s just say that he and Tessa Thompson weren’t able to capture the same crackling connection they had in Thor: Ragnarok. He also had a brief cameo in Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, after the actor’s agent told Kevin Smith that “they got into the movie business because of Clerks, and a starring role in Extraction. Netflix hasn’t released the viewership numbers for the action-thriller yet, but if Spenser Confidential is up to 85 million households, I’d expect nothing less than Extraction becoming the most popular movie of all-time. Move over, Avengers: Endgame! So why is Hemsworth below Evans?
2. Chris Evans
OK, it’s not just the sweater — his smug performance in Knives Out stood out among a crowded ensemble, and Defending Jacob is one of Apple TV+’s most anticipated series to date — but it doesn’t hurt. If Evans plays the dentist in Little Shop of Horrors, as rumored, he’ll shoot to the top of the ranking. But for now, it’s hard to say no to ScarJo.
1. Scarlett Johansson
Johansson is now one of only 12 actors to receive double nominations in the same year in Oscar history: Best Actress for Marriage Story, and Best Supporting Actress for Jojo Rabbit. She lost both, but it was still a historic flex. Honestly, Johansson was an easy choice for number one, even with Black Widow, her solo Marvel movie, pushed back to later this year. You know why? Her smartest career choice of all: not appearing on Colin Jost’s couch next to his guitar. That would have put her in Renner territory.